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In the observation room, Daniels stood with arms crossed, watching Thomas through the one-way glass.Agent Keller sat nearby, typing notes on a laptop.

“You’re going too soft,” Daniels said without preamble.“Establishing rapport is fine, but you’re not pushing for inconsistencies.”

“Because there aren’t any,” Kari replied.“His answers are straightforward and consistent with everything we know.”

“What we know is that he had confrontations with the victims—”

“He had a confrontation with Harrington,” Kari said.“He never met Delgado.”

“They were both involved in disputes with entities he opposed,” Daniels countered.“The professor studying sacred sites, the activist investigating the same mining company he filed complaints about.The connection is clear.”

“It’s circumstantial at best,” Kari said.“And it ignores the ceremonial inconsistencies I’ve confirmed with multiple sources.”

“Your grandmother, a guide with family connections to the suspect, and an anthropologist who studies these things academically—hardly an objective panel.”Daniels’s tone was dismissive.“Meanwhile, we have a suspect with the physical capability, the opportunity, and a documented history of confrontation with outsiders he perceives as disrespecting tribal traditions.”

Kari felt her patience wearing thin.“And no physical evidence connecting him to either crime scene.”

“Yet,” Daniels said.“We’re executing a search warrant on his home and vehicle as we speak.In the meantime, I’ll take over the interview.”

“That’s not necessary,” Kari began, but Captain Yazzie interrupted.

“Agent Daniels has jurisdiction over federal homicides,” he reminded her quietly.“We’ve agreed to cooperative questioning.”

The subtext was clear:pick your battles.Kari reluctantly nodded, ceding the floor.

“I’d like to watch,” she said.

“Be my guest,” Daniels replied with cool confidence.“You might learn something about effective interrogation techniques.Believe it or not, it doesn’t involve tipping your hand like you just did with Begay.”

Kari took a seat beside Agent Keller as Daniels entered the interrogation room, carrying nothing but a single folder.Thomas straightened as the door closed.

“Mr.Begay, I’m Special Agent Paul Daniels, FBI,” Daniels said, remaining standing rather than taking a seat.“I’ll be continuing this interview.”

Thomas gave a small nod, his eyes tracking Daniels as the agent circled behind him before stopping abruptly at his shoulder.

“Where exactly were you Tuesday night between 10 PM and 2 AM?”Daniels asked, the question snapped like a whip.

“As I told Detective Blackhorse, I was at home preparing—”

“Preparing what?”Daniels cut in, moving to the opposite side of the table.“Be specific.”

Thomas inhaled slowly.“Language worksheets for my Navajo level three class.Verb conjugation patterns.”

“Anyone see you doing this?”

“No.I live alone.”

Daniels smirked.“Convenient.”He slammed both palms on the table without warning, causing the water bottle to tip over.“You were at Canyon de Chelly that night, weren’t you?”

“No,” Thomas said, righting the bottle without flinching.

“You followed Harrington there.You watched him setting up his equipment at the sacred site you’d tried to keep him away from six months earlier.”

“I did not.”

Daniels straightened, his voice suddenly sympathetic.“Look, Thomas—I can call you Thomas, right?—I understand defending your culture.It’s admirable, really.When someone disrespects sacred traditions, well…” He shrugged.“People make mistakes in the heat of the moment.”

“I was not there,” Thomas repeated, his calm voice a stark contrast to Daniels’s performative shifts.

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